there are a number of important tax loopholes if you want to call them that, or tax incentives that will have to be ended. this is not something they're prepared to talk about. politically you have to understand that. they have 27 days left. it's not in anybody's best interest to say we're going to hawk at the most important entitlement that they've had for generations. they're trying to do something that is politically understandable and the democrats will try to hold them to account and fill in those gap where is they have refused to be specific about it. >> michael: thomas, what errol is saying is really true. i can't imagine a homeowner who wants to see that mortgage interest write-off gone. when it's clear that the republicans cannot do this cut without that you heard ryan last night. how do they get away with that? >> i think in the same way they're getting away with all sorts of things. if you look at the paul ryan budget, and i understand that's not what mitt romney is proposing this year, but if you go back and look at--he did put paul ryan on the ticket. he did it for a reason.